IGG moves to investigate Oulanyah burial cash bonanza

The Inspectorate of Government yesterday castigated what she called “the obscene cash bonanza” in draft funeral expenses of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah,  and announced a wider investigation into the expenditures.

In a statement shared yesterday, Ms Beti Kamya, the IGG, said the concerns about the budget desecrated the memory of the Speaker, adding that her investigations would focus on establishing whether there was abuse or not.

“The spirit of the departed Jacob Oulanyah must be horrified by the obscene cash bonanza in his funeral expenses. He would not allow it if he had a choice. The IGG will honour him by taking interest in allegations of impropriety in his funeral expenses,” Ms Kamya tweeted.

ALSO READ: Govt slashes budget for Oulanyah burial

She also underscored Oulanyah’s abhorrence for corruption, referencing a speech he delivered during the 2019 Anti-Corruption Walk where he said the fight against the vice is a general responsibility. “We are all corrupt. Unless we take this from our own frontline and extend the frontier to other areas, it is a waste of time, a public show for nothing,” Oulanyah said.

The IGG’s intervention follows an expose by this publication on plans to spend Shs2.5b on the burial, which triggered uproar and public criticism.

ALSO READ: Inside Shs2.5 billion budget for Oulanyah’s state burial

The Ministry of Finance, however, adjusted the budget downwards by Shs700m citing unnecessary expenditures, adding that it could be cut further.

Ms Ali Munira, the IGG spokesperson, in an interview with Daily Monitor, said they had taken interest because it is a matter of public concern, and would cost the taxpayer, if there is impropriety. “She is going to constitute a committee to look into the matter. We are going to look at the people who are in charge of the funeral exercise, the committee that was put in place will be the starting point to see how this budget was developed,” Ms Munira said.

ALSO READ: Langi, Acholi fight over Oulanyah burial

Efforts to reach Presidency minister Milly Babalanda, who is chairing the national organising committee, were futile by press time.

The committee, however, held a meeting yesterday to discuss budget issues and the funeral preparation. One committee member, who spoke to this newspaper, said the budget was drawn early last week, but some members were kept in the dark on its details.

ALSO READ: Acholi MPs speak out on Oulanyah burial budget

Mr Anthony Akol, the chairperson of the Acholi Parliamentary Group, an entity that came under scrutiny for the Shs312m accorded them in the initial budget, welcomed the investigation. 

“I was very disappointed when our names were allocated Shs312m, and that has caused a lot of abuses. It was unfortunate that it was put under our name. The money that was there was for the Omoro Local government, no money was going to the pocket of any MP,” Mr Akol said.